The Grey-headed Bullfinch is a small (17
cm) bird with a gray back, head and nape. The male of Taiwan’s owstoni
subspecies is lavender-gray below, sometimes with a pinkish or buffy tint on
the breast, rather than deep orange-brown as in the mainland subspecies.
The face, wings and tail are black. In flight, the grayish-white wing-bar
and white rump are conspicuous. The female is browner below and darker gray
on the head and nape.

The Grey-headed Bullfinch feeds on seeds
and cones, and in winter is usually found in small flocks. The call has
been described as a soft “yifu, yifu”.

In Taiwan the Grey-headed Bullfinch is a
common year-round resident of sub-alpine conifer and mixed forests,
descending to lower elevations in winter.

References: A Field
Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of
Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic
subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2,
December 2004